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In 2022, about 12,000 respondents of 177 nationalities, living in 181 countries, participated in the Expat Insider survey.
The average age of respondents is 45.9 years. The majority (80%) moved without children. Reasons for moving:
The questions were divided into five categories:
Also, respondents were asked one general question: how satisfied are they with their life abroad in general?
Mexico is the best country to move to. Its strengths are low prices and the friendliness of the locals. Expats also note the ease of obtaining a visa, but at the same time complain about the local bureaucracy. Another advantage is the local cuisine and beautiful nature. Among the disadvantages are air quality and working conditions. Overall, 91% of expats are satisfied with their life in Mexico.
Indonesia is the second best option. Low prices also played a key role here. 64% of respondents said their family income is more than enough for a comfortable life. Immigrants are happy that it is easy to rent a house, and they do not feel a language barrier. The country does not have the best working conditions, poor ecology, and medicine. But it is chosen by young and healthy people with not very high incomes who work remotely.
Taiwan ranks third. Expats feel safe here, they are satisfied with healthcare, price levels, salaries… It seems to be perfect. What's wrong with it? The local business culture is not very suitable for foreigners.They lack a flexible approach and opportunities for creativity, offer a strict hierarchy – less liberal than in the Western world.
Kuwait takes the last place. It seems that expats don't like everything. The locals are unfriendly, the ecology is bad, it is difficult to express your opinion, and it is impossible to find friends. The country's financial indicators turned out to be the highest. 76% of expats believe that their disposable family income is enough or more than enough for a comfortable life in Kuwait - even better than in Indonesia, which is in the top-3.
New Zealand is disliked for high prices and insufficient salaries. In general, expats do not like working there. In addition, there is not much to do for those who are not very fond of wild nature and sports.
It is also expensive in Hong Kong, plus the local business culture is not satisfactory (the claims are the same as for Taiwan, which is not surprising). Nevertheless, in terms of career, most consider moving to Hong Kong successful (70% vs. 60% worldwide).
52. Kuwait
51. New Zealand
50. Hong Kong
49. Cyprus
48. Luxembourg
47. Japan
46. South Africa
45. Turkey
44. Italy
43. Malta
Let's look at the indicators for work abroad separately. The top 10 here looks more predictable: dominated by European countries. The main criteria are career prospects, salary and job security, the life-work balance, business culture, and the presence of a goal at work.
On the contrary, if we look at the ease of moving, we will see mainly Asian countries and even one African state. No wonder: they are more interested in highly trained specialist than European.
This rating took into account such parameters as the ease of obtaining a visa, the ease of communicating with the local bureaucracy and opening a bank account, the availability of housing, and the availability and quality of the Internet. And also the language barrier: is it easy to learn the local language, and is it possible to do without it?
Source: Expat Insider 2022
Photo: Unsplash (Roman Lopez)
